Musical instrument support

ABSTRACT

A device for supporting a musical instrument on a chair upon which a musician is sitting. The instrument supporting device includes an extended rod having channels formed therein and passing around a peripheral boundary of the rod. A first instrument grasping mechanism is mounted to the rod member and an appendage of the musical instrument. A second instrument grasping mechanism is mounted to the instrument and the rod member and threadedly engages a thumbscrew. The thumbscrew passes through a clamp of the second grasping mechanism and is insertable within a channel formed on the rod for fixedly positioning the support device with respect to the instrument.

United States Patent [191' Stewart [111 3,811,357 [451 May 21, 1974 4]MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SUPPORT [76] Inventor: Merlin D. Stewart, 429Beechwood Ave., Haddonfield, 08033 '22 Fi1ed:- Jan.26,1973

, [21] App1.'No.: 327,138

[52] US. Cl 84/327, 84/387, 84/453 [51] Int. Cl. G0ld 3/00 [58] Field-0fSearch 84/327, 387, 453; 248/161,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1962 Sanstead ..84/3871/1926 Mortensen ..84/387 UX 1,464,279 3/1923 Hindley 84/453 UX1,541,767 6/1925 Mortensen 84/453 UX 1,612,148 12/1926 OettingerL 84/327UX 1,653,772 12/1927 Knoche 84/387 UX 2,547,924 4/1951 Citro 84/327FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 361,439 7/1938 1ta1y...., 84/327 PrimaryExaminer-Stephen J. Tomsky Assistant Examiner-Vii; N. Miska Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Paul Maleson; Morton J.

Rosenberg ABSTRACT A device for supporting a musical instrument on achair upon which a musician is sitting. The instrument supporting deviceincludes an extended rod having channels formed therein and passingaround a peripheral boundary of the rod. A first instrument graspingmechanism is mounted to the rod member and an appendage of the musicalinstrument. A second instrument grasping mechanism is mounted to theinstrument and the rod member and threadedly engages a thumbscrew. Thethumbscrew passes through a clamp of'the second grasping mechanism andis insertable within a channel formed on the rod for fixedly positioningthe support device with respect to the instrument.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This'invention relates to the field of support devices formusical instruments. In particular, this invention pertains to the fieldof musical support devices which transfer the instrument weight load toa chair upon which a. musician is sitting.

2. Prior Art Supports for musical instruments are known in the art.However, some of the prior devices mount the musical instruments to themusician. In such devices, such as neck straps, the instruments stillmay bear on the body of the musician. This may cause an unnatural forceto be placed on the musician s body, thus possibly affecting breathcontrol.

In certain other prior. support devices, specifically with respect tobassoons, seat straps are utilized in order to mount the instrument tothe seat. However, the bassoon extends below the player's-chair, makinguse of a strap at the bottom possible.

Other prior devices provide support stands mounted to a chair in whichthe musician sits. However, such stands are inherently, part of the;seat and not portable.

This restricts the musician to the utilization of a particular seat whenplaying the instrument, thus causing some general inconvenience.

. Some prior support devices include adjustable instrument supports.However, such devices-bear against the floor and not on a seat uponwhich the musician is sitting. The extended length of such supportstands provide added structural insecurity as well as not permittingaccurate positioning of the instrument with respect to themusiciansbody. Furthermore, such instruments suitable for use-withfloor-supported stands are those which come much closer to the floorthrough their normal construction, as base clarinets, cellos etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the subject invention is toprovide a new and improved musical support stand for instruments,

, particularly wind instruments having bottoms ending relatively highwith respect to the player's body;

Another object of thepresent invention is to provide seat upon which themusician is sitting.

A device for supporting a musical instrument on a chair upon which amusician is sitting. The device comprises an extended rod member beingremovable from and interfacing with a portion of a base surface of thechair. A first instrument grasping mechanism is mounted to the musicalinstrument and the rod member. A second instrument grasping mechanism ismovably secured to the. rod member along the rod extension.

v 2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofthe musical instrument stand in operating use showing the positionalrelation between the stand and a musician drawn in phantom lines; and,

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the musical stand substantially brokenalong the lines of the musical stand and instrument interface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2,there is shown musical instrument stand 5 for supporting musicalinstrument 2 on chair seat 4. In particular, device 5 permits support ofinstrument 2 in a manner such that instrument 2 does not restorotherwise interface with the diaphragm of musician 1. Additionally,device 5 provides musician I with a completely portable mechanism formaintaining instrument 2 in a predetermined playing position. As shownin FIG. 1, instrument 2 is represented as a baritone horn, however,device 5 is applicable to a wide range of instruments including but notrestricted to tubas, tenor tubas,euphoniums, single B flat tubas, etc.These types of wind instruments, when played sitting down, tend to resttheir weight against the stomach and diaphragm of player 1. The reliefof the weight of instrument 2 from these body areas is of use to seriousmusicians who wish to maintain the maximum breath control as well as toyoung students who may be bothered by the physical weight of instrument2.

In general, device or musical stand 5 for supporting musical instrument2 on chair seat 4 upon which musiclan I sits','inclu'des extended rodmember 6 which when in operation takes up the load weight of instrument2. First and second instrument grasping mechanisms 8, 9 and l1, 12respectively, transfer the instrument load weight to rod member 6 whichin turn directs the instrument load to chair seat 4.

As shownin FIG. 1, musician I while using stand 5 in relation to theclass of instruments previously described may sit on chair seat 4supported by-chair legs 3. Musician 1 may straddle'rod member 6 topermit member 6 to interface with aportion of the base surface of thechair. In use, rod member 6 passes substantially in an upward directionand is mounted to instrument 2 through grasping mechanisms 8, 9 and 12.At the end of extended rod 6 that is nearest to chair seat 4, there ismounted thereon frictional engagement member 10. Engagement member 10engages seat 4 on an upper surface thereof and is formed of a materialhaving a high coefficient of friction. This material, which may berubber or some like composition prevents slipping of rod member 6 withrespect to the base surface of chair seat 4 after musician I hasproperly positioned instrument 2.

Engagement member 10 may be substantially sphermember 6 have sufficientstructural integrity to withstand the weight loading imposed byinstrument 2.

'First instrument grasping mechanism 8, 9 includes upper rod guide 8 andupper instrument clamp 9. Rod guide 8, as shown in FIG. 2, passessaround the peripheral boundary of rod member 6 and permits a sliding fitthrerewith. Guide 8 helps align the rod 6 and takes side loads.Upper'instrument clamp 9, which is a band member, passes around oneappendage or part of instrument 2 and is rigidly fastened to guide 8. Inthis manner, band member 9 is secured to guide 8 and passes around aportion of instrument2. This permits the transference of side structuralloads (from any tendancy of the instrument to turn with respect to therod) from member 9 to guide 8 to rod 6 and finally to chair seat 4. Band9 is formed of a rigid material in order to grasp instrument 2 firmly.In particular, band 9 and guide 8 in use have been successfully formedof metals similar in nature to those of the instruments they are beingused on. Guide 8 and band 9 may be connected each to the other in aloose rivet connection or in some like manner so as to allow angularmovement between members 8 and 9 so that the mechanism map be applied toinstruments of different dimensions. It has been found satisfactory andis preferred for members 8 and 9 to be secured in fixed fashion each tothe other through bolting, or some like technique or by being integralsat some predetermined angular orientation with respect to each other.

Second instrument grasping mechanism ll, 12 is movably secured to rodmember 6 and fixedly fastened to a portion of instrument 2. Secondgrasping mechanism includes lower instrument clamp 11 which is rigidlymounted to instrument 2 by bolting, welding or some like technique.Clamp 11 passes around rod member 6 as is shown in FIG. 2, andthreadedly engages thumb screw 12. Clamp llpassing around rod 6 definesan internal diameter slightly greater than the dimension of rod 6 toallow relative motion therebetween. Thumb screw 12 may be turned toengage rod 6 and provide relative immobility of mechanism ll, 12 withrespect to rod member 6.

Rod member 6 further includes a plurality of channels, grooves, recessesor serrations 7 formed therein as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Channels 7are formed around the peripheral boundary of rod .6 and pass in a planesubstantially normal to the extension direction of rod 6. Recesses 7provide an insert for thumb screw 12 and provide for'fixed-positioningof mechanism ll, 12 with respect to rod 6 once screw 12 is insertedtherein. In the manner described. second instrument grasping mechanismll, 12 in combination with recesses 7 details in adjustment mechanismfor positioning musical instrument 2 at a predetermined height above thebase surface of chair seat 4. This mechanism ll, 12 transfers both sideand vertical structural loads from instrument 2 to rod 6 and then toseat 4.

The thumb screw 12 is loosened to permit the rod 6 to slide untilthe'extensio'n thereof from the instrument is adjusted to thesatisfaction of the player 1. It is then an instrument. The band 9 issuitable for either permanent or removable affixation to an instrument.Both the upper and lower elements (8, 9 and ll, 12 respectively, in theembodiment shown) may be either bands like 9 or pads like 11. Also, aband may be the lower member and a pad the upper member. The band issecured to the instrument by any known clamping means, as a set ofscrews to tighten it. A cork or similar lining may be provided between aband and the instrument to distribute the clamping load and avoidmarring the instrument.

It is apparant that many modifications and variations of the inventionas hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spiritand scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by wayof example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for supporting a wind musical instrument of the type whichtends to rest weight against the musicians diaphragm, on a chair uponwhich a musician is sitting, comprising:

a. An extended generally vertical rod member being removable from andinterfacing with a portion of a base surface of said chair between saidmusicians legs including means for frictionally engaging said rod memberand said base surface of said chair, said frictional engagement meansbeing mounted on one end of said rod member and engaging said chair basesurface and said frictional engagement means is formed of a materialhaving a high coefficient of friction for preventing slippage of saidrod with respect to said base surface of said chair,

b. first instrument grasping means mounted to said musical instrumentand slidably receiving said rod member, including i. a guide memberslidably receiving said extended rod, and permitting said rod to freelypass therethrough without selective securement to said rod and,

2. a band member secured to said guide member and passing around aportion of said musical instrument,

c. second instrument grasping means securely fastened to said instrumentand displaced generally vertically from said first grasping means,slidably receiving and selectively secured to said rod member along saidrod extension, including adjustment means for positioning said musicalinstrument at a predetermined height above said base surface of saidchair, said adjustment means including means for securing said secondinstrument grasping means to said extended rod member at predetermineddistances along said rod extension, said securing means including setscrew means insertable selectively within any one groove of a pluralityof equally spaced parallel grooves formed within and passing around theperipheral boundary of said rod member, each said groove lyingsubstantially in a plane substantially normal to said extension of saidrod member.

1. A device for supporting a wind musical instrument of the type whichtends to rest weight against the musician''s diaphragm, on a chair uponwhich a musician is sitting, comprising: a. An extended generallyvertical rod member being removable from and interfacing with a portionof a base surface of said chair betWeen said musician''s legs includingmeans for frictionally engaging said rod member and said base surface ofsaid chair, said frictional engagement means being mounted on one end ofsaid rod member and engaging said chair base surface and said frictionalengagement means is formed of a material having a high coefficient offriction for preventing slippage of said rod with respect to said basesurface of said chair, b. first instrument grasping means mounted tosaid musical instrument and slidably receiving said rod member,including
 1. a guide member slidably receiving said extended rod, andpermitting said rod to freely pass therethrough without selectivesecurement to said rod and,
 2. a band member secured to said guidemember and passing around a portion of said musical instrument, c.second instrument grasping means securely fastened to said instrumentand displaced generally vertically from said first grasping means,slidably receiving and selectively secured to said rod member along saidrod extension, including adjustment means for positioning said musicalinstrument at a predetermined height above said base surface of saidchair, said adjustment means including means for securing said secondinstrument grasping means to said extended rod member at predetermineddistances along said rod extension, said securing means including setscrew means insertable selectively within any one groove of a pluralityof equally spaced parallel grooves formed within and passing around theperipheral boundary of said rod member, each said groove lyingsubstantially in a plane substantially normal to said extension of saidrod member.
 2. a band member secured to said guide member and passingaround a portion of said musical instrument, c. second instrumentgrasping means securely fastened to said instrument and displacedgenerally vertically from said first grasping means, slidably receivingand selectively secured to said rod member along said rod extension,including adjustment means for positioning said musical instrument at apredetermined height above said base surface of said chair, saidadjustment means including means for securing said second instrumentgrasping means to said extended rod member at predetermined distancesalong said rod extension, said securing means including set screw meansinsertable selectively within any one groove of a plurality of equallyspaced parallel grooves formed within and passing around the peripheralboundary of said rod member, each said groove lying substantially in aplane substantially normal to said extension of said rod member.